Indian Air Force to hold 2-day war games along border with Pakistan

The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft, sources in the defence establishment said on Tuesday.

The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

India’s civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border.

India’s frontline fighter jets, including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, are set to feature in the exercise, sources said.

In the course of the exercise, the IAF will simulate enemy targets on ground and in the air with deadly precision, they said.

The militaries of both India and Pakistan are on a high alert following rising tensions between the two nations.

Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, India, citing “cross-border linkages" to the strike, promised severe punishment to those involved.

In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have “complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the terror attack.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh met the PM on Sunday and the Chief of Air Staff briefed him about the IAF’s operational readiness.

On Saturday, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister of the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.

India